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Preble County man gets 25-to-life for murder

A Preble County man will serve at least 25 years in prison and could spend the rest of his life there after he was sentenced this week for aggravated murder.

Tyler G. Smith, 25, of the 5800 block of East Lexington Road in West Alexandria, Ohio, had entered a guilty plea in February in the Preble County Court of Common Pleas to one count of aggravated murder just six days before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Smith admitted to shooting Jerry Mason, his mother's boyfriend, on May 17, 2013.

Judge David Abruzzo had four sentencing options in the case: life without possibility of parole, 20 years to life, 25 years to life or 30 years to life.

On Tuesday, Abruzzo handed down the sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Smith was credited with already serving 1,034 days as his case made its way through the court system.

Smith also was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,445.

Smith was arrested on May 17, 2013, after he called 911 and said he had "done something bad and needed to go to jail." Preble County sheriff's deputies arrived at the East Lexington Road home where Smith and his mother lived with Mason and found Mason's body on a couch in the living room covered with a blanket.

Mason had been shot in the head with a pump shotgun.

During interviews with investigators, Smith confessed to shooting Mason while Mason slept, saying repeated arguments with Mason caused Smith to think about killing him for several weeks.

"The defendant contemplated this murder, and the method of the murder, for weeks. He ultimately decided to shoot Mason with a shotgun at contact range while Jerry slept," Preble County Prosecutor Martin Votel said. "Mr. Mason never heard the defendant coming and never moved before being shot."